New to View: May 19
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, May 19, unless otherwise noted:
The Front (4K UHD + digital)
Details: 1976, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment-Allied Vaughn
Rated: PG, mature themes, suicide
The lowdown: Woody Allen stars in this Cold War-era drama about the impact of the 1950s blacklist of performers, writers and others accused or believed to be communists, former communists or sympathizers.
Allen portrays Howard Prince, a cashier and part-time bookie, who fronts for a writer-friend and later takes on other blacklisted writers for the money.
Later in the film, Prince is subpoenaed by the same congressional committee that ruined the careers of his friend and other artists.
Many of the people involved in the film — director Martin Ritt, writer Walter Bernstein and actors Zero Mostel and Herschel Bernardi — were among those blacklisted.
Though “The Front,” which garnered a 68 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, is considered a comedy, it does contain serious undertones with its criticism of the communist “witch hunts” of that era.
Allen provides a solid dramatic performance, while Mostel’s poignant and tragic character is touching.
The cast also includes Andrea Marcovicci and Michael Murphy.
“The Front” can be ordered at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH, English and French subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus features include a commentary track with Marcovicci and film historians Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman.
Talk Radio (Blu-ray)
Details: 1988, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: R, language, mature themes, violence
The lowdown: Writer-director Oliver Stone brings shock radio to the screen in this adaptation of Eric Bogosian’s play, which he co-wrote with Tad Savinar. The play, itself, is based on the book “Talked to Death: The Life and Murder of Alan Berg” by Stephen Singular.
Bogosian, who co-wrote the screenplay with Stone, stars as Dallas talk radio host Barry Champlain, who discovers on weekend that his skills in pushing people’s buttons have won him a chance for national syndication.
Instead of celebrating, Champlain subjects his ex-wife, Ellen (Ellen Greene), and his co-workers to a darkly comic marathon bout of compulsive risk-taking with his unstable listeners.
Champlain and his “fans,” many of whom are lonely, angry and dangerous, know that talk is not cheap and that words can kill.
“Talk Radio” is a feature built on rage and cruelty with a bravura performance by Bogosian who, no matter how much he may disgust you, compels you to watch the screen.
The cast includes Alec Baldwin, Leslie Hope, John C. McKinley, John Pankow and Michael Wincott. The movie earned an 85 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include an interview with Stone and a commentary track with film historians Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson.
The Da Vinci Code: 20th Anniversary Steelbook (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2006, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, Unrated, disturbing images, violence, brief nudity, thematic material, sexual content, brief drug references
The lowdown: Tom Hanks stars as symbologist Robert Langdon in this adaptation of Dan Brown’s best-selling novel.
Langdon is in Paris when he becomes involved in a bizarre murder mystery that will take him from France to England as well as dealings with a mysterious ancient society and a murderous, secretive religious order.
Audrey Tautou costars as Sophie Neveu who unknowingly holds the key to the centuries-old mystery.
The cast also includes Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jürgen Prochnow, Paul Bettany and Jean Reno.
Akiva Goldsman adapted the book and Ron Howard was the director.
The three-disc set includes the 148-minute theatrical and 174-minute extended versions of the movie. Most of the bonus features appear on the Blu-ray disc.
Technical aspects: 2160p ultra-high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos (7.1 Dolby TrueHD compatible) and English and French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options on the 4K UHD discs include a commentary track by Howard on the theatrical version, a select-scene commentary by Howard on the extended version and a “Launching a Legacy” featurette. Blu-ray extras include 16 behind-the-scenes featurettes about the making of the movie, the cast, the locations, the music, the process of adapting the book to the screen, the props, the sets, the works of art featured in the movie and the visual effects.
Night World (Blu-ray)
Details: 1932, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A pre-Code drama that takes is cue from “Grand Hotel,” setting its story in a ritzy nightclub owned by the affable racketeer “Happy” MacDonald (Boris Karloff).
Over the course of the evening, MacDonald is double-crossed by his faithless wife, Jill (Dorothy Revier), and Klauss (Russell Hopton) the club’s choreographer. Doorman Tim Washington (Clarence Muse) fears for the life of his beloved wife; Michael Rand (Lew Ayres), an alcoholic socialite who is the son of Mrs. Rand (Hedda Hopper), an acquitted murderess, finds love in the arms of Ruth Taylor (Mae Clarke), a hard-boiled chorus girl, and a beat cop, played by Robert Emmett O’Connor, comes to the rescue by foiling a pair of trigger-happy gangsters.
A lot happens in “Night World” within its fast-paced 58-minute running time.
Karloff fans will enjoy seeing him playing an actual person without monster-like makeup.
The cast also includes George Raft and Bert Roach and features a musical number choreographed by Busby Berkeley.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Two commentary tracks, one by film historian Jeremy Arnold, the other by novelist-critic Tim Lucas and jazz broadcaster-film expert Joe Busam, comprise the extras.
Swashbuckler (Blu-ray)
Details: 1976, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: PG, violence, language
The lowdown: The Caribbean in the 18th century is the setting for this pirate adventure starring Robert Shaw, James Earl Jones, Geneviève Bujold, Peter Boyle and Beau Bridges.
Shaw portrays Red Ned Lynch who, after rescuing his friend Nick Debrett (Jones) from execution, comes to the aid of a wronged noblewoman Jane Barnet (Bujold).
The spunky Barnet, who is good with a sword, Lynch and Debrett join forces to free the citizens of Jamaica from the treacherous Lord Durant (Boyle)
The movie suffers because of its writing — the plot is silly, the humor is formulaic and the romantic elements are superficial.
The cast also includes Geoffrey Holder, Avery Schreiber, Anjelica Huston, Dorothy Tristan and Sid Haig.
Overall, the movie harkens back to the era when actors such as Errol Flynn, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Tyrone Power roamed the seven seas seeking adventure, loot and damsels in distress.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A making of featurette and a commentary track by filmmakers-film historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell comprise the extras.
Africa Screams (Blu-ray)
Details: 1949 Leomark Studios-Allied Vaughn
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This independent film by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello is not one of their best comedies, but it certainly is also not one of the worst.
It’s a short, 79-minute nicely-paced picture with Abbott and Costello going to Africa with Hillary Brooke, a crime boss looking for a map in Costello’s possession that shows the whereabouts of a treasure of diamonds.
The film offers the usual jungle perils with Costello interacting the various animals, cannibals and crooks.
What sparks the movie is its comedic cast including Shemp Howard, Joe Besser, Max Baer, Buddy Baer, Clyde Beatty and Frank Buck.
Abbott and Costello do their best with the material at hand; some routines are simply not as funny as they could be.
At times, some of the film will try the patience of fans of the duo; while other parts will leave you laughing.
The Blu-ray can be found at www.moviezyng.com or other online sellers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural.
The Yeti (Blu-ray)
Details: 2026, Well Go USA
Rated: R, bloody, violent content, some gore
The lowdown: When an oil tycoon and a noted adventurer vanish into the harsh winter of remote northern Alaska, a hand-picked rescue team sets out to find them and bring them home.
What they don’t know is that they are trespassing on the Yeti’s territory and the elements are the least of their problems.
A bloody survival horror movie that features a towering creature and gruesome effects. The movie is almost a throwback to the creature features of the 1950s and early ’60s.
The acting is just OK and the movie’s limited budget is a deterrent.
Fans of monster movies, especially the really bloody kind, should enjoy this outing.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH and French subtitles.
Other titles being released in the coming week include:
Ginger Snaps: Vestron Collector’s Series #39 (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
The Napa Boys (Blu-ray & DVD & VOD) (Magnolia Home Entertainment)
Scarlet (4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray + digital) (Sony Pictures Classics)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
The Midway Point (Level 33 Entertainment)
Sight Unseen (One Tree Entertainment)
The Stranger (Music Box Films)
MAY 20
Criminal Record: Season 2, Episode 5 (Apple TV)
Jack Ryan: Ghost War (Prime Video)
Margo’s Got Money Troubles: Episode 8 (Apple TV)
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed: Episodes 1 & 2 (Apple TV)
The Testaments: Episode 9 (Hulu)
Widow’s Bay: Episode 5 (Apple TV)
MAY 21
Black Sands: Episodes 3 & 4 (Viaplay)
The Escapees (Kino Film Collection)
The Iron Rose (Kino Film Collection)
Keep It Together: Episodes 1-8 (Viaplay)
MAY 22
For All Mankind: Season 5, Episode 9 (Apple TV)
Reckless (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Sick Puppy (Dark Sky Films)
Stranger Eyes (Film Movement+)
This Is Not a Test (Shudder)
Total Trust (Film Movement+)
Unconditional: Episode 4 (Apple)
Your Friends and Neighbors: Season 2, Episode 8 (Apple TV)
Coming next week: Lenny
Dreams
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on X @ReelBobBloom, on Facebook at ReelBob and on Bluesky at @bobbloom1948@bsky.social or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.